Systems for use with special-needs patients

ABSTRACT

Systems for special-needs patients permit the use of a tracking device without disturbing the patient and without attracting predators who are interested in stealing the device. A system comprises a top and a reversible bottom. The bottom is devoid of closures and has a crotch. The top is reversible and invertible so it can be put on forwards, backwards, normally, and inside-out. The top is long enough to cover the crotch of the bottom when the patient is standing. Means are provided for detachably securing a GPS tracking device to a one of the top and the bottom in a manner that the tracking device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the trousers and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the top and the bottom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to garment and locator systems, and more particularly relates to garment and locator systems for use with special-needs patients. In its most immediate sense, the invention relates to garment and locator systems for use with special-needs patients who are ambulatory.

It is extraordinarily difficult to attend to the needs of ambulatory special-needs patients, such as children with autism spectrum disorder, adults with Alzheimer's disease, and persons with other disorders or forms of dementia. One commonly occurring difficulty is that such individuals are often unable to determine the proper way to put their clothes on and it can take thirty minutes or more for a parent or caregiver to help a special-needs patient to get dressed.

Additionally, special-needs patients can have difficulty manipulating closures such as buttons and zippers. This can create problems in getting dressed and undressed and in toileting.

Furthermore, ambulatory special-needs patients who are not restrained can wander and get lost. This is particularly dangerous because such patients are unable to perceive that they have entered unsafe situations and are also vulnerable to predatory individuals who may assault or rob them.

Finally, special-needs patients (particularly children) and their caregivers want to look like everyone else. It would be advantageous to provide a clothing system that addressed the known problems in dressing a special-needs patient without making it evident that the patient is wearing clothing especially designed for special-needs individuals.

It is known to make clothing that is “reversible” (i.e. that can be put on forwards and backwards) and “reversible-invertible” (i.e. that can also be put on normally and inside-out). And it is also known to make clothing that has no closures (to facilitate use by e.g. highly arthritic individuals in addition to persons with autism spectrum disorder). However, such clothing has only been available as individual items to e.g. make it easier to put on a jersey or a pair of trousers. Up to now, there has been no clothing system that can facilitate all clothing-related activities of life (e.g. getting dressed, getting undressed, toileting).

It is further known to attach a GPS tracking device to an ambulatory special-needs patient so as to be able to locate the patient when he or she has wandered off. However, this is unsatisfactory. If the GPS tracking device is visible, it can attract the attention of a predator who may decide to steal it. Additionally, some special-needs patients object to wearing a GPS tracking device. This is particularly so for special-needs patients who wish to be less subject to control and supervision, and also for those who suffer from sundowning syndrome (i.e. patents who are lucid during the daytime but who become confused or suffer from other behavior issues as afternoon turns to evening).

It would be advantageous to provide systems for use by special-needs patients that would facilitate all clothing-related activities of life and that would make it possible to provide tracking functionality without disturbing the patient, without making the patient into a target for a predator, and without making it evident that the patient is wearing clothing adapted for special-needs persons.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a locator system is provided. The system comprises a reversible garment and a tracking device that is secured to it in a manner that the location device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the garment and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the garment. Because the patient cannot perceive the tracking device while the garment is being worn, the presence of the tracking device does not disturb the patient and the patient's location can be ascertained at all times.

In accordance with the invention, the garment can comprise means for detachably securing a tracking device to the garment in a manner that the location device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the garment and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the garment. This means can be a padded pocket and the tracking device can be a GPS tracking device. This permits a tracking device to be removed (for e.g. recharging) without replacing the garment.

In accordance with the invention, a garment system for attaching a tracking device to an ambulatory patient with special needs is provided. The garment system comprises a reversible bottom (any garment having two legs and that is worn on the lower part of the patient's body such as a pair of trousers for a male, leggings for a female) that has a crotch and is devoid of closures, a reversible-invertible top (any garment having two arms that is slipped over the head such as a jersey for a male and a dress or a tunic for a female), and a means for detachably securing a tracking device to a one of the top and the bottom. The top has an inside surface and a bottom edge and is sufficiently long that the bottom edge is below the crotch of the bottom when the patient wears the bottom and the top with the inside surface of the top covering the bottom. The means for detachably securing a tracking device to a one of the top and the bottom does this in a manner that the tracking device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the bottom and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the top and the bottom.

With this system, the patient can easily get dressed because the garments cannot be put on incorrectly. The patient can easily toilet because there are no closures to operate; the patient simply slips the bottom down and pulls it up after he or she is done. Additionally, because the top is long enough to cover the crotch in the bottom, once the patient stands up the absence of a fly in the bottom is concealed without requiring the patient to adjust his or her clothing (which he or she will likely not remember to do). Finally, it is easy for the patient to get undressed because it is only necessary to pull off the top and the bottom.

Because a tracking device can be detachably secured to the top or to the bottom without being perceived by the patient or by a third party, the patient will not be disturbed by its presence and predators will not be attracted to it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood with reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a bottom for use in a system in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a top for use in a system in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a special-needs patient wearing the top of FIG. 1 and the bottom of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a bottom generally indicated by reference numeral 6 (a bottom is any garment having two legs that is worn on the lower part of the male or female body, but in this instance the bottom 6 is a pair of cuffed trousers for a male patient) used in a system in accordance with the invention. The trousers 6 are reversible; the front and rear of the trousers 6 have identical dimensions. There are no closures on the trousers 6 and no fly; the crotch 8 is sewn shut. The trousers 6 are loosely cut to facilitate getting them on and off, and they have an elasticized waistband 10 that prevents them from falling down.

The trousers 6 have a padded pocket 12 located inside one of the loosely fitting cuffs 14. The pocket 12 is sized to accommodate a GPS tracking device 16. The device 16 (which can be, but need not be, manufactured by Phoenix 5 Global Tracking, Inc. of Syosset N.Y.) is inserted into the pocket 12 before the patient (not shown) puts the trousers 6 on. Because the pocket 12 is padded and the cuffs 14 are loose, the patient (not shown) does not perceive the device 16 when it is installed in the pocket 12. And because the pocket 12 is located inside one of the cuffs 14, the device 16 is not visible to potential predators.

FIG. 2 shows a reversible-invertible top generally indicated by reference numeral 20. This could be any garment having two arms that is slipped over the head but in this instance, the top 20 is a jersey for a male patient. The jersey 20 has a neckline 22 that is identical in the front and the back and that has a loose fit so that it is easy for a special-needs patient to put on and remove. A padded pocket 24 is located on the inside surface 26 of the jersey 20 near its bottom edge 28; as with the pocket 12, the pocket 24 is sized to accommodate a GPS tracking device 16, which can be introduced into the pocket 24 and removed from it as appropriate. Because the jersey 20 has a loose fit and the pocket 24 is located adjacent the bottom edge 28, the patient (not shown) does not perceive the device 16 when it is located in the pocket 24. And, because the device 16 is concealed inside the jersey 20 when installed, it is not visible to potential predators.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the jersey 20 is sized sufficiently large so that when a patient 30 is wearing the trousers 6 and the jersey 20 with the inside surface 26 covering the trousers 6, the bottom edge 28 of the jersey 20 is below the crotch 8. This conceals the crotch 8 and the waistband 10, so that the patient 30 does not appear to be wearing clothing intended for special-needs patients.

Although at least one preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, this description is not limiting and is only exemplary. The scope of the invention is defined only by the claims, which follow: 

1. A locator system for use by an ambulatory special-needs patient, comprising: a. a reversible garment; and b. a tracking device secured to the garment in a manner that the location device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the garment and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the garment.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracking device is a GPS tracking device.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises means for detachably securing a tracking device to the garment in a manner that the location device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the garment and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the garment.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the tracking device is a GPS tracking device.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein said detachably securing means comprises a padded pocket.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the garment is a pair of cuffed trousers and the padded pocket is located inside a cuff of the trousers.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the garment is a jersey with an inside surface and a bottom edge and the padded pocket is located on the inside surface adjacent the bottom edge.
 8. A garment system for attaching a tracking device to an ambulatory patient with special needs, comprising: a. a reversible bottom, the bottom being devoid of closures and having i. a crotch, and ii. means for detachably securing a tracking device to the bottom in a manner that the tracking device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the bottom and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the bottom; and b. a reversible-invertible top, the top having an inside surface and a bottom edge and being sufficiently long that the bottom edge is below the crotch when the patient wears the bottom and the top with the inside surface of the top covering the bottom.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the bottom is cuffed and said means for detachably securing comprises a padded pocket located in a cuff of the bottom.
 10. A garment system for attaching a tracking device to an ambulatory patient with special needs, comprising: a. a reversible bottom, the bottom being devoid of closures and having a crotch; and b. a reversible-invertible top, the top having i. an inside surface and a bottom edge and being sufficiently long that the bottom edge is below the crotch when the patient wears the bottom and the top with the inside surface of the top covering the bottom, and ii. means for detachably securing a tracking device to the top in a manner that the tracking device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the top and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the top.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for detachably securing comprises a padded pocket located on the inside surface of the top adjacent the bottom edge.
 12. A garment system for attaching a tracking device to an ambulatory patient with special needs, comprising: a. a reversible bottom, the bottom being devoid of closures and having a crotch; b. a reversible-invertible top, the top having an inside surface and a bottom edge and being sufficiently long that the bottom edge is below the crotch when the patient wears the bottom and the top with the inside surface of the top covering the bottom; and c. means for detachably securing a tracking device to a one of the top and the bottom in a manner that the tracking device is imperceptible by a patient who is wearing the bottom and by a third party who is viewing the patient while the patient is wearing the top and the bottom. 